Yu Hao was halfway there when her phone buzzed in the armrest box. While waiting at a red light, she glanced down at it.

"Are you free next week?"

She looked away and stared ahead, her gaze indifferent.

After a short while, the phone buzzed again with another message.

"Are you angry?"

Yu Hao had just parked in her residential community when she fished her phone out of the armrest box. "I was driving just now, didn't see my phone."

Without waiting for a reply, she sent another message, "I have to go out of town for a seminar with my professor next week. I'll be back the week after."

"Okay, be safe."

After typing those words while rubbing his neck, Lu Huaizheng tossed the phone back to Li Hongwen and turned to leave, but Li Hongwen called out to him, "Wait a minute."

"What is it now?"

Li Hongwen had someone take the phone away, then looked at Lu Huaizheng with a serious expression. "On Saturday, you'd better think carefully about what you're going to say. You can't make Old Li lose face. Don't be flippant with me, you hear?"

Lu Huaizheng waved his hand to show he understood.

Li Hongwen added, "If you handle this well, I'll give you an extra day off later."

Lu Huaizheng waved it off. "Forget it, I'll take my leave as scheduled. If I take an extra day off, the deputy captain has to cover for me for an extra day. He has a wife and kids too. No need for special treatment. I've said it before, just stop trying to set me up with Old Li's, Old Zhang's, or Old Wang's daughters."

Li Hongwen: "Even those younger than you in the team are married. You think we're not anxious? Fine, if you like that student of Professor Han's, then hurry up and win her over, get it done and settled so you can focus on your work."

"Am I not focused on work usually?" Lu Huaizheng raised an eyebrow.

"Get lost, get lost. I can't be bothered with you."

...

When Yu Hao got home, she found Shen Xiyuan was also there. As she was taking off her shoes to enter, Shen Xiyuan was playing Army Chess with Old Yu. Hearing the click of the door lock, both of them looked over at the same time.

Holding a game piece, Old Yu greeted her, "You're back?"

Yu Hao hummed in acknowledgment and nodded at Shen Xiyuan, who returned a smile as gentle as a spring breeze.

Feng Yanzhi came out of the bedroom, glanced at Old Yu, and urged impatiently, "Aren't you going to make dinner yet?"

Old Yu had finally found someone to play chess with, so how could he let him go so easily? Although this Little Shen wasn't very good, he could at least satisfy Old Yu's craving for a game. He wasn't willing to call it a day just like that. He looked longingly at the chessboard, waved his hand, and said, "Just one more game."

Feng Yanzhi threw a pillow at him, which landed squarely on Old Yu's bald head.

Old Yu snapped back to his senses, dejectedly packed up the game, and sighed, "Going right now, my dear lady."

Shen Xiyuan also stood up and asked in a gentle voice, "Do you need any help, Professor Yu?"

Old Yu pressed on his shoulder to make him sit down. "Absolutely not. You're a guest today. Sit."

Feng Yanzhi leaned back on the sofa, turned off the TV, and told Yu Hao to put away the chess set. She herself watched Shen Xiyuan leisurely, sizing him up from head to toe, from the strands of his hair to his toenails, smiling with exceptional gentleness. Old Yu felt that he probably hadn't seen that smile in decades.

Feng Yanzhi was born beautiful and had maintained herself well into her later years. She had an elegant temperament, and her smile was particularly refined and soft. "How were your studies abroad?"

Shen Xiyuan sat on the sofa, his back slightly hunched, and said humbly, "They were alright."

"You've been modest since you were a child." Feng Yanzhi asked bluntly, "You don't have a girlfriend yet, do you?"

Shen Xiyuan said, "Not at the moment."

Feng Yanzhi: "You and Yu Hao grew up together, and you have a good relationship..."

Yu Hao interrupted her directly, "Mom, Dad's calling for you."

Feng Yanzhi glared at her impatiently. "Don't cause trouble." Then she smiled at Shen Xiyuan. "Little Shen, I just feel that you're both not young anymore. You shouldn't put it off any longer. Your parents must be anxious, right?"

Shen Xiyuan nodded and smiled. "They are quite anxious, but this is something you can't rush. I haven't met anyone suitable yet, so even if I wanted to rush, I can't."

Feng Yanzhi's gaze flickered to Yu Hao. "Don't you have any feelings for Yu Hao?"

Shen Xiyuan looked down at Yu Hao, who was cleaning up, and smiled gently. "Auntie, is there some kind of misunderstanding?"

Feng Yanzhi made a sound of surprise. "Old Yu said you two used to date, when Yu Hao was in college."

Shen Xiyuan nodded. "We did date back then, but we broke up amicably later. I won't go into the specific reasons with you. But I remember Yu Hao and I were quite secretive about it. How did Uncle find out?"

Feng Yanzhi coughed. "During her freshman year, Old Yu said he saw you taking Yu Hao home, cough..." She paused here, then looked away with an awkward expression.

Shen Xiyuan remembered it must have been that time and chuckled lightly. "It was my fault. I broke up with Yu Hao when I was preparing to go abroad to study."

Feng Yanzhi said, "Exactly! I figured you two must have broken up because you were going abroad. Now that you're back, why not give it another try?"

...

After dinner, Yu Hao was in the kitchen, washing dishes with a clatter. Shen Xiyuan was helping out beside her, putting the bowls and chopsticks into the drawer with practiced coordination.

The night was as still as water. Moonlight fell gently from the window into the sink, reflecting shimmering spots of light.

"Don't take what my mom said today to heart," Yu Hao said suddenly, her head lowered. "She's gone crazy wanting me to get married."

Shen Xiyuan had his back to her, helping her drain the water from the bowls and then wiping them with a dry cloth. He said with his head down, "You should get married."

"You're four years older than me. If anyone should be getting married, it's you first."

Shen Xiyuan chuckled and joked, "Hey, then why haven't you found a boyfriend all these years? Don't tell me you still can't get over me."

Yu Hao retorted, "What if I can't get over you? What would you do then?"

"Did you ever really like me? I don't think so. Stop lying." Shen Xiyuan's expression suddenly turned cold.

"Then don't ask. I'm afraid it'll hurt your feelings."

Shen Xiyuan cursed, "Heartless."

After a moment of silence, Yu Hao drained the last bowl, set it aside, and blurted out, "Senior Brother, let me ask you one last question."

Shen Xiyuan said irritably, "Speak."

"What should you say when you reunite with someone you haven't seen in twelve years?"

Seeing her earnest expression as she sought advice, Shen Xiyuan looked at her with sharp intuition. "Who did you run into? To be asking me for advice so seriously?"

Yu Hao turned her head back, wiped the bowl haphazardly, put it back in the cabinet, and said in a low voice, "No one."

Shen Xiyuan: "As your ex-boyfriend, I've never seen you like this. Ai, your senior brother is a little jealous."

Yu Hao ignored him. "He asked me out for Saturday, but then said something came up. Do you think he regretted it?" 'No, that's not right. Lu Huaizheng then asked her out for next week, but she had to go on a research trip with her professor. After that, he didn't ask her again.'

Shen Xiyuan said, "If a man asks you out, it means he still has feelings for you. It couldn't be that kid from back then, could it?"

"...His name is Lu Huaizheng."

For once, Shen Xiyuan swore. "Fuck, it really is him." He stacked the bowls and put them into the cabinet one by one, asking, "What's that kid doing now?"

"Air Force."

Shen Xiyuan furrowed his brows. "Did he get in through connections? With his grades, how could he get into a Military Academy?"

"He went in as a conscript and got into the Military Academy in his second year. He didn't use any connections." Yu Hao glared at him. "His knowledge of history is no worse than yours. He knows a lot of things you've probably never even heard of."

Shen Xiyuan rapped her sharply on the head. "Is that any way to talk to your senior brother? Ever seen a mother hen protecting her chick? That's just what you're like. I'd like to see what that big swindler uses to trick you, things that even I, who's studied history for over ten years, have never heard of."

Yu Hao said nothing.

Shen Xiyuan leaned against the quartz countertop and softened his tone. "What are you thinking?"

The moonlight quietly spilled onto the countertop.

"No particular thoughts. I just feel that if my mom insists on forcing me to marry, he's the only person I can accept."

Shen Xiyuan suddenly looked up at her, an unreadable emotion in his dark eyes. "Not even me?"

"No."

...

On Saturday.

After finishing his flight training, Lu Huaizheng got off the plane and was walking back while taking off his gloves when he ran into Li Hongwen coming from the other direction. Li Hongwen stopped him. "Go pick up Old Li's daughter in a bit."

Lu Huaizheng stopped and looked at Li Hongwen in disbelief. "Are you sure you want me to go?"

"Old Li's daughter said she just came back to the country and isn't familiar with the roads," Li Hongwen said.

"Let Old Li pick her up then," Lu Huaizheng rolled his eyes.

"Old Li asked you to pick her up, so you do it. Stop with the bullshit. Why don't you be the leader instead?"

"Don't say that."

"So, are you going or not?"

"I'm going!" Lu Huaizheng sneered, throwing his gloves hard against the chest of the Little Squad Leader behind him before striding away.

'I've worried myself sick over you, and in the end, you're still dissatisfied with this and that. I'm not getting involved tonight. You can deal with Old Li yourself!' Li Hongwen fumed inwardly.

The Little Squad Leader behind them chuckled, "What's this? The leader is setting the captain up? Is it that psychologist from last time?"

"You all liked that psychologist from last time, huh?" Li Hongwen asked, eyeing him.

The Little Squad Leader nodded dazedly. "We liked her a lot. She's pretty and seems nice, just doesn't smile much. But it's fine as long as the captain smiles. The captain's smile is so infectious."

Li Hongwen tapped him on the head. "Alright, stop teasing your captain. Get back to work."

Lu Huaizheng went to the Second Institute to pick up the person, parking his car right at the entrance. He was wearing a black jacket over a white short-sleeved shirt, with casual pants and military boots. The car door was open, and he leaned against the driver's seat with his hands in his pockets, one foot on the ground and the other resting inside the car. He looked much more casual than when he wore a military uniform or a suit.

Groups of people trickled out of the Second Institute's entrance. The crowd was bustling, as if a meeting had just ended.

And then, a familiar figure appeared right at the entrance. Lu Huaizheng abruptly pulled his foot back.

Yu Hao's psychology lecture ended at six. As she was walking out of the gate, someone called out to her.

"Yu Hao."

She turned around and smiled, "Senior Brother."

It was a senior brother who had previously given a physiology lecture at the institute, named Ye Tingfei. A young, beautiful woman followed behind him and walked to her side. He smiled and introduced her, "Junior Sister, this is Li Yaoxin. She has a few questions she'd like to consult you about."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Yaoxin didn't delay and got straight to the point. "It's like this: a client of mine has been having some mental health issues recently. When faced with many of my questions, he's either evasive or lies. This client's situation is special, and I heard from Professor Han that you're an expert in lie detection, so I was hoping to ask for your help. I wonder if Miss Yu has any time?"

"You can email me the details of your client's situation. I have to accompany Professor Han on a business trip next week, so I can only get back to you after I've confirmed my schedule."

Li Yaoxin thought for a moment and said, "Then let's add each other on WeChat?"

"Okay."

...

After dinner that evening, Yu Hao was scrolling through her phone when she came across Li Yaoxin's WeChat Moments.

The man who said he had to suddenly cancel his leave was now appearing in another woman's WeChat Moments with a smile, wearing a black jacket and leaning back in a chair in his usual dashing posture.

Yu Hao stared at it for a while, then liked the post.

The author has something to say:

The point is.

When Lu Lu sees this like in the future...

He'll be scared to death.